Chapter 34
Teaspoon rode back up the next day. He looked around the empty yard. He saw Ike finally. Ike ran over to him. He could tell that it wasn't good news.
"Ike."
'He got sick yesterday. He can't hardly breathe. He's in pain.'
"At Rachel's?"
Ike nodded. Teaspoon turned to his traveling companion.
"Shall we?"
"Hopefully we aren't too late."
Teaspoon walked over and inside Rachel's. He went to the room in the back, nodding to Buck and the girls on the way. He opened the door to find Rachel and Lou trying anything to ease Jimmy's suffering. He saw Teaspoon at the door. Lou and Rachel looked at him as well.
"Jimmy. I got someone here to talk to you. You should hear him out."
"Ok." Jimmy said.
Mason walked in from behind Teaspoon. He made his way over to Jimmy. He asked Rachel and Lou to step back for a minute. He felt Jimmy's sweaty forehead. He looked at the color of his skin. He pushed on his chest as Jimmy grimaced. He pulled the quilt back up over him.
"Seen better days?" Mason asked.
"Maybe." Jimmy said trying to smile.
"Hear me out, ok. That lung is collapsing."
"I'm dying you mean."
"Not necessarily. That lung is just as sick as you are. It is trying to give up on you. I think you should think about letting me try to fix it."
"What?" Panted Jimmy.
"That lung."
"What do you mean?"
"The blows you received to your chest has caused damage to your lung again. It has caused this infection. If you let me, I can save you. Are you still ready to die when now you have a chance to live?"
"I'd die if the pain will stop."
"If I do it right, this kind of pain will disappear."
Jimmy laid shaking on the bed. Teaspoon walked over. He put his hand on his shoulder.
"Son, I think you want to live. I've seen you past few weeks. You don't want to die anymore. You are now just trying to accept it. Let him do it. What have you got to lose?"
Jimmy closed his eyes and nodded.
"Good, I'll need some help." Said Mason.
"I'll help." They turned to see Kid in the door.
"That'll work. Go wash your hands."
Teaspoon got Lou and Rachel. He pushed them into the kitchen. Buck took the girls outside to play. Ike walked with him. Teaspoon sat at the table in the kitchen with Louise. Rachel walked out to give the girls something to eat. Lou turned her cup around in circles on the table.
"He'll be fine."
"He chose to live, Teaspoon. He chose to try to live."
He pulled her close.
"That he did, darling."
"It's been awhile."
"Can't be rushed. Doctors around here don't do this sort of thing but Mason, he is the smartest man I know."
The door opened an hour later and Kid walked out. Lou noticed the sweat on his shirt. He pulled the door closed behind him. He walked and flopped down at the table. Teaspoon slid a cup over to him.
"I ain't never seen anything like that." Said Kid.
"Well?" Said Teaspoon.
"He's hanging in there. He seemed to handle it well."
"Does it look good?"
"Mason says that just getting it where it needs to be is a big step. Now we have to worry about getting the infection out and proper healing. It will have to stay there several days to allow air to escape. Damndest thing I ever saw. Lou, you can go in when you're ready."
She pushed away and stood but stopped at the door with her hand on the handle.
"Go ahead, Lou. He's fine."
Lou opened the door finally and made her way inside. Mason was finishing cleaning everything up. He smiled when he saw her. She wouldn't go any closer. She stood just inside the door. He walked over to her.
"Come on my dear. It's ok."
Lou shook her head and kept her eyes on Jimmy. All she could see was his face.
"Come on." Mason took her hand and walked her over to the bed.
She stood and finally could see him breathing. It felt like life and hope was renewing inside of her. She started smiling. She put her hand over her mouth as she smiled through the tears. Mason patted her shoulder.
"He will be just fine. Love can do amazing things and he has enough in this room, right now, to help him through anything."
Lou hugged Mason as she cried.
"Now listen. Watch him close. If you notice anything odd at all, you come get me. I'm gonna be staying for a few days. This ain't something like a gunshot. This will take a lot of time. Louise, he will be sick and I mean sick. He will have some pain also."
"I can get Teaspoon to run into town and get something for him."
"That would be great. Feed him light next week or so, ok. No big foods. And under no circumstances let him move around. He needs to walk, probably in a week but nothing else. Think you can do that?"
"You know I can."
"Good. Now I'm going to visit for a few." Mason smiled knowing that keeping her busy would help this go by faster.
He walked to the door and turned to her one last time. She had eased down and was touching his face.
"Louise."
She turned to look at him.
"What once was lost, now is found. Don't let it get away again. Y'all will have a great lifetime together."
Mason walked out as Lou sat crying and smiling on the bed.